11 noteworthy in-house career moves

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) appointed Geoffrey Aronow general counsel. Aronow, a veteran securities lawyer, previously spent four-and-a-half years as a partner at Bingham McCutchen. His private practice experience also includes stints at Arnold & Porter and Heller Ehrman. Aronow worked in the public sector between 1995 and 1999 as director of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s enforcement division.

Former White House attorney Lisa Brown joined Georgetown University as vice president and general counsel. Brown has held several senior roles in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, including deputy counsel and counsel to former Vice President Al Gore, and, most recently, acting chief performance officer. She also served as a partner at Shea & Gardner (now Goodwin Procter) and as executive director of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy.

Kyle Guse joined healthcare company Atossa Genetics Inc. as chief financial officer, general counsel and secretary. Guse, a licensed Certified Public Accountant, began his career in 1987 at Deloitte & Touche. He later served as a partner in the law firms of Heller Ehrman, McDermott Will & Emery and Baker Botts.

Chexar Networks named Rusty Pickeringgeneral counsel and chief compliance and corporate development officer. Pickering’s prior work experience includes an 18-year stint at Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough—where he most recently served as a senior partner in the firm’s Atlanta office—and a two-year tenure as general counsel of financial technology company Phoenix International.

Data management company Turn hired Max Ochoaas general counsel and corporate secretary. Ochoa most recently was general counsel and vice president of human resources at Cox Enterprises, a diversified media company. He has also held general counsel positions at Adify and Aliph and served as an associate general counsel at TiVo.

The TCW Group, an international asset management firm, hired Meredith Jacksonas executive vice president and general counsel. Jackson previously was a partner at Irell & Manella, where she led the firm’s debt finance practice since 1999. While at the firm, she advised TCW during its 2012 acquisition of Regiment Capital’s special situations fund group.

Aaron Ball is now chief legal officer and general counsel of Luca Group, an independent oil and gas exploration and production company. Ball most recently was of counsel in Squire, Sanders & Dempsey’s corporate and finance practice.

Mary Beth Claus was appointed general counsel of Indiana University Health, an academic medical health center partnered with the Indiana University School of Medicine. Claus comes to the organization from Cleveland Clinic, where she served for three-and-a-half years as deputy chief legal officer and director of health care regulatory. Her prior work experience also includes a stint as a partner at Faegre Baker Daniels.

Daniel Torres was named general counsel and corporate secretary for Autopistas Metropolitanas de Puerto Rico, a consortium established by Goldman Sachs and Abertis Infraestructuras to manage the first private-public partnership highway project in Puerto Rico. Torres’ prior work experience includes stints at AIG and power company AES, where he served as compliance counsel and senior project manager.

Other In-House Moves

SanDisk Corp. hired Eric Whitakeras its senior vice president and chief legal officer. Whitaker comes to the company from Tesla Motors Inc., where he served as general counsel and corporate secretary. He also held executive vice president and general counsel positions during a previous seven-year term at Lexar Media, a technology and flash memory provider.

Law Firm News

Covington & Burling hired E. Donald Elliottas senior of counsel in its Environmental Practice Group. From 1989 to 1991, Elliott was assistant administrator and general counsel of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He also spent 10 years as a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, where he chaired the worldwide Environmental, Health and Safety department.